Air refueling vs RTB

[mikeCK]

I have two KA-6bs in the air to support an air superiority operation. I have two questions:

1. Why do my fighters turn to go home when they have expended their medium range missiles but still have sidewinders? I can't get them to engage fighters with sidewinders as they are all in the way to refuel (about 65% fuel left)

Which brings up my next question

2. Since these fighters are low on ammo, I would just assume they return to the carrier (they have 65% fuel so there is plenty to get back ) but when I hit "RTB", they acknowledge but then automatically revert to "Heading to refuel point (maneuvering to refuel). While I put the tanker there for a reason, I would rather save its fuel for the EA-6Bs in the area as well as the few fighters remaining on station to protect them. I don't want 10 F-14s waiting in line to suck gas out of a tanker when they can just go home. How do I force them to not use the tanker?

[mikeCK]

Ok, found the answer for #2 in case others had the same question. If you click on the fighter that wants to refuel and drop down to "Doctrine and ROE"...click on it. The 7th option down is "Use refuel". If you change it to "no" and then click RTB, they will ignore the tanker and head home.
Sorry for wasting space here! Love discovering things although I'm still curious why my fighters hate engaging with sidewinders???

[harpoon731]

ORIGINAL: mikeCK

I have two KA-6bs in the air to support an air superiority operation. I have two questions:

1. Why do my fighters turn to go home when they have expended their medium range missiles but still have sidewinders? I can't get them to engage fighters with sidewinders as they are all in the way to refuel (about 65% fuel left)

Under Side Doctrine select RTB when Winchester make sure to select NO (I think) This maybe a different option but also check out maintain standoff?
Which brings up my next question

2. Since these fighters are low on ammo, I would just assume they return to the carrier (they have 65% fuel so there is plenty to get back ) but when I hit "RTB", they acknowledge but then automatically revert to "Heading to refuel point (maneuvering to refuel). While I put the tanker there for a reason, I would rather save its fuel for the EA-6Bs in the area as well as the few fighters remaining on station to protect them. I don't want 10 F-14s waiting in line to suck gas out of a tanker when they can just go home. How do I force them to not use the tanker?

under the same menu select UNREP/Reful to NO

[Dimitris]

1. On air superiority missions & loadouts, the priority is to shoot with long-range weapons and then disengage ASAP. Air superiority is usually a battle of attrition, and you want to preserve your fighters more than to go all fangs-out in a furball. If the mission was intercept, it is likely the AI would press on even when down to guns (because in this case there is likely something high-value at stake, something worth sacrificing your fighters for).

That said, you can force your fighters to press on even when down to harsh language, by setting the "RTB when Winchester" doctrine setting to NO.

2. As you noted, you control this via doctrine-ROE. The real beauty of this system is when you apply these settings on groups or missions, and afterwards all units being transferred in and out of a group or mission automatically inherit those settings. So e.g. specifying that an outgoing massive strike will use your orbiting tankers but the standing CAP will not, takes far fewer clicks than otherwise necessary.

[mikeCK]

Thank you! Didn't realize difference between air superiority and intercept. I also should have realized I could set RTB Winchester to no along with fuel.

Thanks guys!

[harpoon731]

meant to say Group Doctrine, not side doctrine! The people here are pretty awesome

[LuckyJim1010]

Just found this post and want to say big thank you.
Stand Up scenario: One of my Tiffies, having used most of the AAM, kept heading to the tanker instead of back to MPA.

[Rongor]

I would like to see a "RTB when Bingo" option in the Doctrine and ROE that I can set to no. Right now my Bingoing flights cancel their orders, leaving me unable to do anything about it. This is very annoying when having them short prior some urgent interceptions.
I will have tankers in position to have them refuel on their way back, but my pilots just don't care and turn home at Bingo. Is there anything to do about it? It would be so nice to have that option.

[TheOriginalOverlord]

ORIGINAL: Rongor

I would like to see a "RTB when Bingo" option in the Doctrine and ROE that I can set to no. Right now my Bingoing flights cancel their orders, leaving me unable to do anything about it. This is very annoying when having them short prior some urgent interceptions.
I will have tankers in position to have them refuel on their way back, but my pilots just don't care and turn home at Bingo. Is there anything to do about it? It would be so nice to have that option.

Just a bump on this request...

[:D]

[TheOriginalOverlord]

Just a bump

[Excroat3]

ORIGINAL: Overlord

ORIGINAL: Rongor

I would like to see a "RTB when Bingo" option in the Doctrine and ROE that I can set to no. Right now my Bingoing flights cancel their orders, leaving me unable to do anything about it. This is very annoying when having them short prior some urgent interceptions.
I will have tankers in position to have them refuel on their way back, but my pilots just don't care and turn home at Bingo. Is there anything to do about it? It would be so nice to have that option.

Just a bump on this request...

[:D]

Well, if this was implemented, you would have to have something telling you that the plane was going to go bingo if you did not RTB it. Unless you add something in where the plane will RTB, but if you uncheck "RTB when Bingo", the previous orders are restored

[Rongor]

Not really, if you set that single aircraft to not RTB when Bingo, that unit will fall out of the sky when fuel is empty, unless you take care for this not to happen.