Bingo 40% (in your case) is the amount of fuel that allows you to reach the nearest base or refueling tanker.Reserve fuel is not taken into account.
Bringing the supply tankers closer/further away or the base will vary the Bingo.Your tanker pilots to the north are courageous.
This is what bothers me and I don't understand. Even if I set refuel threshold to 10%, the hornets still head to the tankers while they have 40% fuel. They should spent the time on station and when they reach 10% fuel they should go for tankers. However they don't do it, no matter what setting I use they still head to the tankers while have 40%. Also 10% fuel is enough for them to reach the refueling area so this should not be an issue.
Also I agree with you when u say the tanker pilots are courageous. IMO the refuel area is also way to close to the combat/prosecution area, thus putting them at great risk. However even with them so close I can't seem to make the mission work, if I put them even further south the F18 will be absolutely useless on station because they won't have range. Even with tankers so close the hornets spend little time on station.
Loose stuff;
Your operating zone is located more than 1000 nm
Your F18s do not have enough fuel for patrol missions which forces the planes to waste fuel to search but also identify contacts.
I would replace the F18s with a P8 Poseidon, that's their job, they are made for that and have more fuel than the F18s. But they will be defenseless against opposing fighters.
The P8s have more powerful ELINT sensors than the F-18s and can detect a Radar from further away and therefore ‘slowly’ move out of range.
The opposing hunters have the same fuel problem as you.
This is the beauty of the game. There are multiple posibilities to reach the goal. I focused on the hornets because I want to use them for prosecution area since I have so many and with good loadouts. I have tried playing the scenario with the focus on the P8, but they are very vulnerable and every time I end up loosing a lot of them, even when keep them close to the DDG.
For the F18 I would use "Naval ASW Strike" and "Air intercept" or escort missions (for A-A configuration),
This causes the planes to take off only on hostile contacts already identified, no waste of fuel but a longer processing time for the target and perhaps too late.
Wont this cause them to take off, fly a significant distance and if the target contact disappears or lands for fuel/gets distroyed the hornet will turn back and land, thus ending in a loop?
-Mission Triggler on Hostile (they will only take off when hostile contact is detected)
-Minimum and Maximun Strike Radius allows selection at what distance the targets must be from the F18's starting base for them to take off
I set the WRA of the ASuW weapons so that the flight taking off fires all its missiles at a single target, so that the flight fires all its missiles at once and returns directly.
The chinese ships have powerful 100 and 76 mm cannon, you are limited with 57 and 30mm but your AA missile RIM162 (25nm), RIM116 (6nm but they have the same range as the Chinese cannons) and the Helfire ( mH60R) can also engage surface ships.
Use Sam in ASuw Mode:
The scenario is long, don't be in a hurry.
I maintain contact with the hostiles, stay at a distance from the ships and use the AGM-84k aircraft.
This works well in this scenario, I don't have problems with destroying PLAN ships, I engage them with the hellfires and cannons but great advice with SAm, I did not try it before and I will definetly do it.
However I focus so much on the issue with refueling the fighters because it bothers me and I feel that is an esential part of the game. I am a beginner in this game and refueling efficient seems to me like is one crucial mechanic that I must know well for aerial warfare.
Sorry if this is long but maybe I was wrong in thinking that this would help you.
I absolutelly appreciate the time you took to explain me things and I thank you for the explanations, long texts does not bother me at all.
