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Of course check the weather, check 100% effectiveness, range (8 hex for WP, 6 hex for WPP irrc) and most importantly check that there is no enemy opposition in range.

My question: how to suppress enemy fighters? What mission is the best to draw out the fighters and make them expend their intercept operation points? When can I be sure that all intercepts are done - e.g. if I can make an attack without interception?

That is an interesting question.

Options...

1) Bomb nearby units. This is the most effective as you might affect their movement which is always helpful when dropping behind enemy lines. Less unit movement to come to reinforce.
2) Strategic bomb nearby cities, this can is also pretty good as you do take away PP but normally not a lot. And you will be hit by flak, if some exists, along with fighters so more costly.
3) You could also bomb the airbase, though I have never found it to be overly effective. You never destroy enemy planes just lose your own. I was told it will lower their effectiveness but probably the least useful.

Sadly all these options mean you have less air to use against units you may be attacking.

My question is more about actually making the drop, i.e. not to be shot down by fighters and lose the air transport.

It is a tricky one because most of the time you cannot bomb the exact hex you want to drop (it must be empty to drop) so you can never be sure that you calculated ranges correctly. Also you can never know whether there are escort fighters or short range ones.

Is it a good idea to use your own fighters instead of bombers to draw out the enemy fighters?

Hover over the hex and a paradrop icon should appear over the hex you want to drop on.

That part I am familiar with. You can drop 8 hexes and not 6, correct?

But how can I make sure that my paras are not shot down by interceptors, in other words how to draw out the enemy fighters the best and least expensive way?
(although air transport is expensive and takes a long time to build so it is worth the expenses)

AlvaroSousa wrote: Thu Mar 05, 2026 1:36 pm Hover over the hex and a paradrop icon should appear over the hex you want to drop on.

You need to bomb units nearby that are within range of the enemy fighters.
Sometimes that is difficult to calculate but it is doable usually.

Whether you use fighters or bombers...honestly I would do some testing in scenarios...

You can't know for certain they will be or won't be.

It's war. Nothing is certain.

Does that mean that there is a chance that an otherwise eligible enemy fighter does not intercept - but then the same fighter may intercept on the next mission in the same turn?

AlvaroSousa wrote: Thu Mar 05, 2026 10:06 pm You can't know for certain they will be or won't be.

It's war. Nothing is certain.