The A-164 Wipeout is a single-seat aircraft used for close air support and air interdiction. The life-cycle of its predecessor, the A-10, ended in 2030 and the need for replacement grew more important with the rising tension in the Pacific. A limited development budget did not allow for a fresh start, instead the concept of the A-10 was improved with better shape, engines and armaments. Wipeout is armed with a 30 mm seven-barrel Minigun, Falchion-22 short range air-to-air missiles, Macer air-to-ground missiles, unguided Shrieker rockets (HE and AP variants) and GBU-12 laser guided bombs.
The Wipeout is a twin turbofan-engined, ground attack jet that uses a cantilever low-wing monoplane wing design with a wide chord. It is meant to be used exclusively for ground attack and close air support.
Blazing away with the 30 mm Gatling. While it isn't capable of penetrating through tank armour, it is devastating against most ground vehicles and infantry.
Armament
By default, the Wipeout is armed with a 30 mm Gatling cannon. It feeds from a single 1,000-round belt[CfgVh 6] loaded with armour-piercing high-explosive (APHE) shells.[CfgAm 1][CfgAm 2][CfgAm 3]
The Wipeout has a total of ten pylons that support dynamic loadouts. Four are positioned on each wing whilst the remaining two are located under the jet's fuselage. They are fitted with the following munitions:[CfgVh 7]
6× Macer air-to-ground missiles
4× GBU-12 laser-guided bombs
1× Shrieker rocket pod loaded with high-explosive (HE) rockets
1× Shrieker rocket pod loaded with armour-piercing (AP) rockets
A targeting pod with a laser marker can be used to provide self-designation capability when used in conjunction with most of the Wipeout's guided munitions. It also provides a Continuously Calculated Impact Point (CCIP) marker for laser-guided bombs and the 30 mm Gatling cannon.[CfgVh 5]
Mobility
When paired against its CSAT counterpart, the Wipeout has a slower stall speed, which combined with its usage of decelerons enables it to perform better in low altitude flight, valuable for when performing Close Air Support and conducting recon with the targeting pod.
However, when compared to its CSAT counterpart it takes twice as long for the Wipeout to reach its top speed due to being the heavier aircraft of the two. Furthermore, it will bleed this speed rapidly in turns and if ambushed by faster and higher flying jets, the Wipeout will struggle to flee or be able to conduct defensive/offensive manoeuvres.
Notable Traits
The Wipeout can carry more air-to-ground munitions than any other CAS-capable aircraft which allows it to remain in the air for extended periods of time before having to return to rearm. Likewise, the 30 mm Gatling cannon is ideal for attacking squads of infantry or convoys of soft-skinned or lightly-armoured vehicles (though it will not penetrate the armour of tanks).
No matter the altitude, the Wipeout remains vulnerable to all kinds of anti-air defences.
Drawbacks
Since the Wipeout is designed exclusively for CAS and short-range interdiction missions, employing it for SEAD missions or air superiority is ill-advised. Ideally, faster and higher flying (and SEAD-capable) Black Wasps should be used to clear the way for the Wipeout first.
This is because electronically, the Wipeout possesses no stealthy attributes and can be detected at full ranges both on active radar and via infrared/visual sensors. It also lacks an active radar of its own and forces the pilot to rely on the targeting pod's visual/infrared camera in order to locate and identify both air and ground targets, leaving it exposed to vehicles which aren't projecting radar or heat emissions.
In essence, the Wipeout will stand no chance of surviving in a contested airspace without an escort, and will remain as a sitting duck against modern air defences.
Crew Capacity
The Wipeout only contains a single seat for the pilot. It is unable to transport any passengers.
Camouflage[]
Dark Grey (Camo)
1/1
Dark Grey (Camo): Two-tone dark grey/ghost grey paint scheme designed for low observability.
The Wipeout has a base armour value of 80.[CfgVh 8]
LEGEND[SCR 2] Green = Hull Orange = Engines Violet = Primary fuel tank Light blue = Fuel lines Maroon = Instruments Gold = Control surfaces (ailerons) Yellow = Control surfaces (elevators) Dark blue = Control surfaces (rudders)
Hull[]
The jet's hull can withstand up to 640 points of damage before its integrity fails.[CfgVh 9][Formula 1] Will result in a total loss if the hull's "health" is depleted.[CfgVh 10] It takes 150% additional damage from high-explosive (HE) type munitions.[CfgVh 11]
Engines[]
Each of the Wipeout's engines can take a maximum of 248 points of damage before they begin failing.[CfgVh 12][CfgVh 13][Formula 2] Both engines suffer from a 350% increased damage penalty if they are damaged by HE-type munitions.[CfgVh 14][CfgVh 15]
Destroying either of the engines will not result in a total loss if the Wipeout is at full "health". However, at least 60% of incoming damage is still shared with the Wipeout's "health" pool[CfgVh 16][CfgVh 17], meaning that the plane can still potentially blow up if it is at critical "health" status at the time of the engine's destruction.
Instruments[]
The Wipeout's flight instruments and Multi-Functional Displays (MFD) can take up to 280 points of damage before they fail.[CfgVh 18][Formula 3] All instruments take 400% increased damage from HE-type munitions.[CfgVh 19] At least 30% of incoming damage to any of these components will be shared with the plane's main "health" pool.[CfgVh 20]
Fuel tanks[]
The Wipeout's fuel tank can withstand up to 640 points of damage[CfgVh 21][Formula 4] while its fuel lines can only take a maximum of 240 points of damage[CfgVh 22][CfgVh 23][Formula 5] before they rupture. The primary fuel tank takes 300% additional damage[CfgVh 24] from HE-type munitions, while the fuel lines incur a 400% damage[CfgVh 25][CfgVh 26] penalty instead. At least 50% of incoming damage inflicted upon the primary fuel tank[CfgVh 27][CfgVh 28][CfgVh 29] or either of the fuel lines will be shared with the Wipeout's "health" pool.
Control surfaces[]
The Wipeout's control surfaces consist of six components:
Losing specific control surfaces (e.g. elevators) can hamper the jet's handling and agility; based on the severity of the damage and number of components lost. If all parts are destroyed, the Wipeout will take a severe hit to its in-flight stability.
The Wipeout is protected by two types of plain metals and composite armour plates:
The interior of the cockpit has a blocky, bathtub-shaped seat made out of composite metal plates that have a thickness of 60 millimetres.[rvmat 1][bisurf 1]
The Wipeout's entire airframe (but excluding the interior of the cockpit) is protected by plates of plain metal. These plates have a thickness of 30 millimetres.[rvmat 2][bisurf 2]
The cockpit's canopy is protected two types of glass panes. The frontal window pane (in front of the cockpit's MFD/HUD) is made out of armoured glass[rvmat 3][bisurf 3] while the rest of the canopy is made out of plexiglass that has a thickness of 10 millimetres.[rvmat 4][bisurf 4]
The canopy's frontal window is bullet-resistant and can block multiple direct hits from 12.7 mm bullet projectiles fired by heavy machine guns. However, it is not strong enough to block armour-piercing 30 mm/40 mm autocannon shells.
It should be noted that this level of durability only applies to the frontal window and no other parts of the canopy. For the rest of the canopy, its plexiglass is not bullet-resistant and cannot stop bullet projectiles - regardless of calibre, from piercing through (even 9 mm pistol calibre rounds cannot be blocked).
Sensors[]
The Wipeout uses an array of sensors optimised exclusively for close air support:
The Wipeout's Anti-Radiation Sensor is forward-facing only. It is represented by the green cone on the SENSORS panel.[note 1]
Infrared Sensor[]
The Wipeout's IR Sensor is located in the targeting pod (represented by the orange cone on the SENSORS panel).[CfgVh 93] Although it is technically affected by heavy fog, the range reduction effect is so miniscule (-25 metre reduction[CfgVh 54]) that it will be barely noticeable.[note 2]
Laser Sensor[]
The Wipeout's Laser Sensor is forward-facing only. Any designated targets will become visible on the Wipeout's SENSORS panel only when the jet is (mostly) facing in the direction of the laser spot.[note 1]
NV Sensor[]
The Wipeout's NV Sensor is forward-facing only. Any IR grenades on the ground will only become visible on the SENSORS panel when the Wipeout is (mostly) facing in the direction of the grenade.[note 1]
Passive Radar[]
The Wipeout's Passive Radar can detect Active Radar threats in any direction (regardless of the jet's facing direction).[note 1]
Visual Sensor[]
The Wipeout's Visual Sensor is located in the targeting pod (represented by the orange cone on the SENSORS panel).[CfgVh 94] The Visual Sensor can be affected by heavy fog and can lose up to 6% of its range depending on its thickness.[CfgVh 87] The Visual Sensor becomes completely blind at nighttime and very low-light conditions.[CfgVh 88][note 2]
Armament[]
NOTE:Only the weapons used on the default loadout for the Wipeout are listed here. For full details on ordnance that can be mounted on the Wipeout, refer to the dynamic loadouts article.
It can attain a fire rate of up to ~ 2,000 rounds per minute[CfgWp 1][Formula 11] and has a muzzle velocity of 1,120 m/s.[CfgMa 1] Accuracy-wise, it has a dispersion of 0.0095 rad.[CfgWp 2] The shells themselves have a blast radius of 3 metres[CfgAm 2] and can (partially) penetrate up to 84 millimetres of armour plating.[CfgAm 8][Formula 10]
Target Lead Indication is provided on the pilot's Heads Up Display (HUD). Landing hits can be accomplished by aligning the crosshair directly on the HUD's circle.
Unguided anti-vehicle rockets. Shrieker APs are fired with an initial velocity of 44 m/s[CfgMa 2] and can reach speeds of up to 590 m/s[CfgAm 9] in-flight.
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The Wipeout's Cluster loadout has the jet armed with the following ordnance:[CfgVh 98]
Hardpoints 1 and 10 are equipped with Falchion-22 short-ranged, infrared-guided air-to-air missiles.
Hardpoint 2 is equipped with Shrieker 7x HE unguided air-to-ground rockets.
Hardpoints 3 and 8 are equipped with Macer 3x air-to-ground missiles.
Hardpoints 4, 5, 6, and 7 are equipped with CBU-85 cluster bombs.
Hardpoint 9 is equipped with Shrieker 7x AP unguided air-to-ground rockets.
Targeting pod[]
The Wipeout's targeting pod is fitted underneath the fuselage just below the cockpit. The Wipeout's IR and Visual sensors are specifically slaved to the targeting pod's camera.[CfgVh 93][CfgVh 94] For rotation limits, there is no restriction to azimuth but elevation is limited to an angle of 20 degrees[CfgVh 99] and a depression of up to 180 degrees.[CfgVh 100]
It can switch between four fields-of-view: Wide (WFOV 0.5x)[CfgVh 101], Medium (MFOV 2.5x)[CfgVh 102], Narrow (NFOV 7.5x)[CfgVh 103], and Very Narrow (NFOV 15.0x)[CfgVh 104]. It can toggle between day, night or black-/white-hot thermal vision modes.[CfgVh 105][CfgVh 106] The targeting pod's camera is fully stabilised and can be locked onto either point or area targets.[CfgVh 107]
Avionics[]
MAWS[]
The Wipeout has a Missile Approach Warning System installed. It will warn the pilot if there are missiles that have successfully locked onto the jet are already inbound towards it.[CfgVh 108]
RWR[]
The Wipeout has a Radar Warning Receiver that will alert the pilot if they are being locked onto by radar-based targeting systems.[CfgVh 109]
IWR[]
The Wipeout does not have an Infrared Warning Receiver. The pilot will not be warned if there are infrared-based targeting systems locking onto it.[CfgVh 109]
LWR[]
The Wipeout lacks a Laser Warning Receiver. The pilot will not be warned if a laser-based targeting system is attempting to acquire a lock onto it.[CfgVh 109]
AI[]
NOTE:The following information only applies to the AI.
The Wipeout is considered to be a dangerous threat[8] to AI-controlled infantry units and aircraft (0.8/0.8).[CfgVh 112]
AI-controlled ground vehicles consider the Wipeout to be an extremely dangerous threat (1) and will prioritise attacking it if possible. Otherwise, they will attempt to flee if they lack the ability to engage the Wipeout.[CfgVh 112]
As stated in its Field Manual entry, the Wipeout is directly based on the real-world "A-10 Thunderbolt II" attack jet then-designed by Fairchild Republic which is now owned by M7 Aerospace, itself a subsidiary of the U.S.-based division of Elbit Systems (with support for the A-10 having since been taken over by Northrop Grumman).
Although it is based on the A-10, it uses a slightly darker grey paint scheme that is reminiscent of early production models of the Lockheed Martin "YF-22 Raptor".
Its engines are also modelled with more acutely shaped inlets in an attempt to give the Wipeout a stealthy profile similar to that of the UH-80.[10]However, this does not actually give the Wipeout stealth attributes against radar detection in-game (unlike the Ghost Hawk).
The Wipeout was not originally available in ArmA 3 at launch. It would not become available until the release of the main campaign'sthird episode as part of Game Update 1.14.[11]
When the Wipeout was initially added, its flight model would cause the plane's nose to constantly drop. This prevented the pilot from being able to maintain a level altitude unless they kept manually adjusting pitch to counter the dropping. This would eventually be fixed after the release of Game Update 1.16.[12]
Prior to Game Update 1.50, the cursor on both the player's UI (in third person) and the Wipeout's HUD did not match the actual point of impact for Shrieker rockets.[13] Until the patch's release, this would cause the rockets to strike well below the indicated PoI.
Gallery[]
Promotional image released for ArmA 3's ninth anniversary (as part of the so-called "Legendary Assets" series).
↑ 1.01.11.21.3This sensor IS NOT affected by the player's View and Object Distance settings.
↑ 2.02.1This sensor IS affected by the player's View and Object Distance settings and may not function at its maximum range unless their graphics settings are set to an equal or higher distance. However, it should be noted that specifically in the case of aerial targets, Object Distance settings will not affect the sensor's detection range (only View Distance still matters).
↑Damage will be reduced if the projectile's velocity drops below this value.
↑Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2023, #Arma3 #LegendaryAssets #12 - A-164 Wipeout "We were in need of a NATO ground attack aircraft for the sandbox, so we created the A-164 with "stealth" aesthetics which are also used on other aircraft (e.g. drones, helicopters)." - @IvanBuchta 1/3, 2 February, viewed 25 March 2023, <https://twitter.com/ArmaPlatform/status/1620819141367316482>.
NATO - Vehicles (ArmA 3)