Dynamic loadouts is a feature that was added to ArmA 3 with the release of the Jets DLC. It allows air vehicles to be given different loadouts in the Eden editor.
NATO Black Wasp launching a GBU SDB glide bomb equipped via the Dynamic Loadouts system.
This feature allows for aircraft to be customised with weapon loadouts provided that they have the necessary pylons and hardpoints to do so.
Many aircraft already have pre-configured loadouts that the mission maker can choose from by default. These range from Combat Air Patrol (CAP) loadouts for air-to-air combat, Anti-Tank (AT) for tackling Main Battle Tanks and other heavy armour, Multi-Role (MR) that combines a balanced mix of air and ground ordnance, and so on.
While old vehicles and weapon systems have retained the same names, some new vehicles and weapon systems have been added, and functionality has been changed with the new sensors system.
Limitations[]
Diagram of the available pylons with adjustable loadouts for an A-164 Wipeout
Not all aircraft are able to support every single type of ordnance.
A ground attack jet such as the A-164 Wipeout for example, will only be able to mount air-to-ground bombs and anti-tank missiles onto its pylons; with air-to-air weaponry being mostly restricted to Falchion-22 short-range infrared guided missiles.
On the other hand, aircraft that use an internal weapons bay like the stealth variant of the To-201, will be limited to carrying few (if any) air-to-ground munitions.
Aircraft exclusive to one faction are also unable to mount ordnance used by other factions. A CSATTo-199 for instance, cannot be armed with Macer II AGMs used by NATO Black Wasps, nor can it carry the BL778 cluster bomb used by AAF Gryphons.
Weapon systems (alphabetical)[]
PLEASE NOTE:
For specifics regarding what each pylon is limited to carrying as well as what positions they are located at, refer to the Design section of each aircraft's article.
Even if a helicopter or plane is capable of being retrofitted with guided munitions, the pilot and/or gunner may not be able to make use of its guidance mode if the aircraft itself lacks the necessary sensors to do so.
"Field of regard" refers to the angle of the aircraft's boresight where a lock-on can still be maintained on a target, but cannot actually be targeted.
For example, the IR-guided DAGR rocket will not be able to lock onto anything outside of its 30° cone. However, it can still continue locking onto the same target unless the aircraft's heading faces more than 60° away from the target's position.
"Unguided" munitions are not necessarily completely unguided. This works in the sense that they do not have any kind of built-in sensors.
Such munitions are also classified as being UNGUIDED because they cannot be used on their own without other forces to mark targets for them.
Missiles such as those launched by SAM defences like the MIM-145 Defender are not included in this article as they cannot be outfitted onto aircraft. For performance metrics regarding their capabilities, look at the Sensors section in each article's page.
As with ground vehicle munitions, high penetration depth DOES NOT equate to ordnance having a higher damage output. Penetration depth only determines the maximum thickness of armour plating that can be pierced through. If it can't actually pierce the vehicle's Rolled Homogenous Armour (RHA) then the ordnance won't inflict any actual damage even after a direct hit.
Many of the described characteristics for each munition were observed through testing in a controlled environment. Results may drastically vary depending on circumstances and actual combat situations.
Munitions available to aircraft from third party-developed Creator DLCs (i.e. S.O.G. Prairie Fire) are not listed within this article as they are not considered to be official content.
Radar-guided[]
The following munitions require an Active Radar sensor module in order to be able to track targets. They can still be fired but will not lock-on without a radar powered up.
AMRAAM C[]
AMRAAM C
Parameter
Value
Base damage
200
Warhead type
High-Explosive
Blast radius (metres)
13
Proximity fuse radius (metres)
30
Maximum speed (m/s)
900
Maximum lock-on range (kilometres)
12
Minimum lock-on range (metres)
800
Lock-on cone (degrees)
70°
Maximum field of regard (degrees)
90°
Maximum lockable speed (km/h)
2,800
Armour penetration depth (mm)
N/A
Medium-range air-to-air INDFOR missile. The AMRAAM C is capable of locking onto targets via Data Link. It has lock-on after launch (LOAL) capability.
A single hit will consistently destroy targeted aircraft. The AMRAAM C's seeker has a 5% chance of losing lock due to chaff, but merely performing sharp turns is rarely effective against it.
Medium-range air-to-air BLUFOR missile. The AMRAAM D is capable of locking onto targets via Data Link. It has lock-on after launch (LOAL) capability.
An upgraded variant of the AMRAAM C missile, the AMRAAM D gains 1 km additional range over the C variant. It has an improved seeker that offers a generous lock-on cone with effectively double the radius of the C model.
Like the older C variant, the AMRAAM D is also able to usually destroy enemy aircraft with a single impact. However, it still has a 4% chance of losing lock as a result of chaff.
Medium-range air-to-air REDFOR missile. The R77 is capable of locking onto targets via Data Link. It has lock-on after launch (LOAL) capability.
Exclusive to REDFOR air superiority fighters, it is identical to both the AMRAAM C/D missiles damage output-wise. However, the R77 is (arguably) the best MR AA missile in terms of aerodynamics. Although the R77 has 1 km less range than the AMRAAM D, the R77's manoeuvrability outstrips that of the AMRAAM D's and easily outturns it even on the tightest of angles.
The only countermeasure against the R77 is chaff (which has a 5% chance of breaking the seeker's lock) or a poor shot from the pilot. In almost every other situation, the R77 will usually never miss its target.
Technically considered to be an MR AA missile akin to the AMRAAM C/D and R77, in practice the seeker's very tight acquisition cone restricts it to roughly under 7 km lock-on range; barely making it any better than shorter-ranged IR-guided missiles.
Its blast radius is also slightly smaller, with the warhead inflicting less overall damage while the missile itself has poorer manoeuvrability and lower thrust. Meanwhile, the seeker has 2-3 km less range than the other three medium-ranged A2A missiles and has a 6% chance vulnerability to chaff countermeasures, which is the highest out of the four.
Last but not least, the Zephyr cannot make use of LOAL and is the only radar-guided A2A missile that lacks Data Link capability. As such, the seeker cannot rely on external radar sources to provide backup guidance for it. Altogether, these factors contribute to making the Zephyr the worst of the MR AA missiles in every aspect.
It should also be noted that the Zephyr is the longest-ranged missile available on non-DLC aircraft.
All of the listed ordnance below require an Infrared Sensor module in order to function. The target must also have a "hot" infrared signature in order to be detectable; a "cold" target cannot be locked onto even if it can be visually seen by the pilot (unless the munition's seeker has a Visual Sensor for backup guidance).
ASRAAM[]
ASRAAM
Parameter
Value
Base damage
200
Warhead type
High-Explosive
Blast radius (metres)
7
Proximity fuse radius (metres)
N/A
Maximum speed (m/s)
1,020
Maximum lock-on range (kilometres)
6
Minimum lock-on range (metres)
200
Lock-on cone (degrees)
90°
Maximum field of regard (degrees)
120°
Maximum lockable speed (km/h)
2,160
Armour penetration depth (mm)
N/A
Multi-faction, short-range air-to-air missile.
The ASRAAM should be able to destroy most enemy aircraft aside from the V-44X Blackfish on impact, though certain fixed-wing jets may still be able to resist a single hit (they will still be heavily damaged by the ensuing blast).
It should be noted that ASRAAMs do not have a proximity fuse. The missile's seeker also has an 8% chance of losing lock to flare countermeasures. Lastly, ASRAAMs only retain enough fuel for a maximum flight time of 30 seconds.
The BIM-9X is slightly inferior than the ASRAAM in several ways: its warhead is "weaker" and will often require a second hit on the target in order to score a kill (the target will still be heavily damaged if their engines are hit regardless). It has 1 km less range, and also flies much slower due to its sharply reduced maximum speed of just 700 m/s.
Fortunately, the BIM-9X compensates with its wider blast radius. The boresight lock-on cone for the BIM-9X is also far more generous, meaning it will still be possible to maintain lock on an enemy target even if they aren't flying in front of the aircraft. However, the BIM-9X does have a tendency to miss targets moving perpendicular to its direction of travel on occasion. Deploying a few flares and making a sharp turn in relation to the missile's direction (perpendicularly) can potentially cause it to miss.
The missile's seeker has an 8% chance of having its lock get broken by flare-based countermeasures. BIM-9Xs only retain enough fuel for 20 seconds of flight.
Multi-purpose, short-ranged air-to-ground guided rocket used by all factions. The DAGR can utilise either manual or laser guidance.
The DAGR is essentially the anti-tank version of the (unguided) DAR. While its warhead still deals relatively low damage, the DAGR usually comes in pods of twelve or twenty four, and is highly effective against non-heavy armour ground vehicles like APCs and IFVs thanks to possessing a penetrator submunition.
In most cases, a single rocket will usually be enough to critically damage (or at least disable) most ground vehicles. However, six DAGRs will be needed to destroy a tank (like the T-100) from the rear. Depending on where they hit, up to twenty four rockets may be needed to destroy a tank from the front; assuming that the vehicle is not outfitted with Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA).
DAGRs do not perform well when they need to adjust their flight direction suddenly. A fast-moving vehicle making sharp turns will be difficult, if not impossible for DAGRs to hit. Similarly, if the aircraft launching the DAGRs is moving quickly relative to the target's position and is firing at close range, then the DAGR may not be able to properly compensate for the sudden movement and also miss its target completely.
Locking onto a target via laser instead of IR.
Since the DAGR is mainly IR-guided, line-of-sight on the target is absolutely necessary to target with them. Smoke countermeasures combined with small movements can very effectively counter inbound rockets. Likewise, rapid sustained barrages on a single target may not be ideal as the smoke from the first strike will obscure the view for subsequent DAGRs.
Nonetheless, rapid short bursts of up to 2-3 DAGRs can still be effective, as the rockets following the lead projectile will generally be already fixed on their path and unable to make any further significant corrections by the time the lead rocket strikes either the target or the ground.
The DAGR's seeker has a 70% chance of having its lock get broken by smoke countermeasures. Note that in spite of its maximum lock-on range being set to 5 km, the seeker itself for both IR/laser guidance is rated at 4 km only. Manual guidance (MCLOS) remains unchanged at 5 km but can display erratic behaviour once it flies past a distance of 2 km.
In contrast to most IR-guided SR AA missiles, the Falchion-22 performs poorly even in its intended role for self-defence. Its damage output for instance, can be widely variable due to its warhead's lacklustre payload and the missiles' odd flight characteristics, often requiring no less than two direct hits in order to bring down a large target.
Likewise, the seeker has a fairly high chance of losing lock to countermeasure flares (10%), meaning that simply deploying a single burst of flares coupled with a sharp manoeuvre is enough to ward the Falchion-22 away.
Overall, Falchion-22s are worse off performance-wise when compared to its direct REDFOR counterpart (the Sahr-3) in almost every way. Its only saving grace is that its mid-flight stability guarantees a hit on aircraft at all distances; assuming that the Falchion-22 does not get its lock broken by flares.
It should be noted that despite its maximum lock-on distance being set at 4.5 km, the seeker itself is actually capable of locking onto targets at 5 km range.
Exclusive to REDFOR air superiority fighters, the KH25 is essentially the REDFOR equivalent to the Macer AGM. Like the Macer, it is designed to be used against heavily armoured ground vehicles, and has a penetrator submunition which can easily cut through the frontal armour of tanks.
However, unlike the Macer the KH25's warhead is slightly more powerful, though it does take two seconds longer for the motor to accelerate to its maximum speed. Its acquisition cone for both acquiring and locking on is also extremely tight as well, so the attacking aircraft will need to be facing directly towards the target's position at all times to maintain lock-on.
The KH25's seeker has a 50% chance of losing lock to smoke countermeasures, and the missile itself has enough fuel for 40 seconds of flight time.
Designed exclusively for use against armoured ground vehicles. The Macer's warhead has a penetrator submunition that can pierce through the armour of tanks, and is able to destroy even the toughest of MBTs like the T-140 in a single hit.
Aerodynamically, the Macer is mostly identical to both of its REDFOR counterparts, the only difference being that the Macer's motor is able to reach its maximum speed two seconds faster.
Its main advantage over the KH25 is that the seeker's lock-on cone is slightly more generous so the aircraft does not have to be facing directly towards the target at all times. Nonetheless, because the field of regard is actually smaller than the weapon acquisition cone, a steady aim still needs to be maintained in order to complete locking onto a target.
The Macer's seeker has a 50% chance of having its lock get broken by smoke countermeasures. The missile is available in racks of either three or individual units. It should be noted that whilst the weapon itself can only be locked onto targets at 6 km range, the missile's seeker is capable of tracking targets at distances of up to 8 km.
Exclusive to BLUFOR air superiority fighters/UCAVs and INDFOR multi-role jets, the Macer II is virtually identical to the regular Macer AGM in all aspects save for its name.
The Macer II is available in either single units or double-racked variants.
Exclusive to REDFOR air superiority fighters, the R73 is comparable in some ways to the BIM-9X; the only exception being that the R73 has 1 km increased range, a tighter boresight cone, and a slightly more powerful (but barely noticeable) explosive warhead.
Its aerodynamics are significantly worse off compared to its BLUFOR counterpart however, so using the R73 at distances of under 1 km is strongly ill-advised. Similarly, it shares the same shortcomings of the BIM-9X in that the missile has an 8% chance of missing due to flares breaking its lock, which will force it to veer off into a random direction.
For best results, the R73 should only be used at medium ranges (distances of between roughly 1.8-2.5 km) instead of at its maximum range (6 km) to increase its chances of successfully striking a target before they can deploy enough flares to break a lock.
The Sahr-3 can be considered to be a better version of its BLUFOR counterpart (the Falchion-22). The warhead for example, inflicts more damage and has a larger splash radius. The seeker also has the same 10% chance of losing lock against deployed flares but has 1.5 km greater range and a much more lenient acquisition cone.
Its manoeuvrability is slightly worse compared to the Falchion-22 however, so it has greater difficulty in reliably hitting enemy aircraft that are flying at very close distances (1 km or less from the launching aircraft's position).
The Sharur is identical to the KH25 Kedge in every way besides its display name. There are no functional or aesthetic changes compared to the latter. The Sharur's sole difference is that it is only mounted on non-stealth VTOLs and CAS jets.
Multi-faction air-to-ground, anti-tank guided missile. Aside from its default infrared guidance, the Skalpel also has access to manual and laser guidance modes.
The Skalpel is a powerful lightweight ATGM that - depending on where it impacts, can easily destroy almost every ground vehicle in a single hit. Upon launch, the Skalpel will automatically home in towards the target's weakest spot: its roof. Depending on where it impacts, even tanks can be taken out in one hit if it's given enough starting height to strike through the turret.
Though the warhead's payload is nowhere near as powerful as the Macer and KH25/Sharur AGMs are, the Skalpel's smaller size means that many more missiles can be mounted onto a single hardpoint via tri- or quad-rail racks.
Attacking targets via MCLOS (top) and laser lock-on (below). In both cases, a live feed from the seeker's camera is active.
In many respects, the Skalpel can be treated as a larger version of the DAGR rocket. Just like the DAGR, the Skalpel has a penetrator submunition designed to punch through heavy armour plating but at the same time, is not very flexible aerodynamically. It doesn't possess the necessary agility to correct itself mid-flight in order to account for sudden movements from the target at short ranges.
This can cause the missile to hit slightly off target and for that reason, Skalpels in general work better at medium to long ranges rather than at short distances (1 km or less).
Like DAGRs, line-of-sight is just as necessary for locking the Skalpel onto a target, so smoke countermeasures can easily counter an inbound missile. As soon as the vehicle's sensors alert them, the crew should pop smoke and move immediately (at the same time) to prevent a direct hit.
One benefit of the Skalpel's size is that unlike the DAGR, each missile is large enough to have a built-in camera fitted onto the seeker. This makes guiding the missile significantly more easier in MCLOS mode; provided that the gunner toggles the missiles' camera feed on their in-game HUD.
The missile's seeker has a 55% chance to lose lock to smoke countermeasures, and has enough fuel for a flight time of 28 seconds. Skalpels are available in either individual unit or three/four missile racks.
Anti-radiation missiles can only function properly if the aircraft has access to the Passive Sensor module. They do not require an Active Radar in order to use nor do they need an Anti-Radiation Radar.
AGM-88C HARM[]
AGM-88C HARM
Parameter
Value
Base damage
2,100
Warhead type
High-Explosive
Blast radius (metres)
8
Proximity fuse radius (metres)
N/A
Maximum speed (m/s)
828
Maximum lock-on range (kilometres)
16
Minimum lock-on range (metres)
1,000
Lock-on cone (degrees)
120°
Maximum field of regard (degrees)
120°
Maximum lockable speed (km/h)
198
Armour penetration depth (mm)
N/A
BLUFOR anti-radiation missile. It has lock-on after launch (LOAL) capability.
The AGM-88C can only lock onto radar emissions.
The AGM-88C is designed specifically for use against active radar-equipped ground vehicles and objects such as the ZSU-39 and the S-750's Cronus radar sites.
Provided that the radar has been turned on, the AGM-88C will automatically home in onto the emission source once locked onto and in most cases, instantly destroy the target upon impact.
Breaking lock from a HARM can be accomplished if the radar is switched off before the missile arrives. This is generally quite difficult to accomplish in practice however, as the missile cannot be detected by any vehicle sensors.
Crews need to be on alert in order to visually identify the incoming missile from afar, and turn off their vehicle's radar before the missile gets too close to miss.
REDFOR anti-radiation missile. It has lock-on after launch (LOAL) capability.
The KH58 is identical to its BLUFOR counterpart (the AGM-88C HARM) in every way besides appearance. Just like the AGM-88C, the KH58 is also guided purely by the source of the radar emitter and is primarily intended to be used against mobile AAA vehicles and the static radars used by Defender SAM batteries.
Likewise, if the target switches off their radar before the missile hits, it will also instantly lose lock. The KH58 will either impact the radar source's last known location, or veer off randomly into another direction.
These munitions lack any built-in seekers that would otherwise provide them with autonomous tracking capability, and will almost always require other forces to provide guidance for them (i.e. laser designation). They usually don't require any sensor modules in order to function, meaning they cannot be detected electronically by avionics, and can only be spotted visually by the enemy crew.
NOTE: Ordnance listed in this category does not necessarily imply that they are entirely unguided. As previously mentioned, some (not all) can make use of laser guidance from other sources; just not via the munition itself.
(*) Denotes that these values only apply when there is a laser spot or night vision/infrared marker to lock onto.
BL778[]
BL778
Parameter
Primary bomb
Bomblets
UXO (Type 1)
UXO (Type 2)
UXO (Type 3)
UXO (Type 4)
Base damage
5,000
300
7
7
35
35
Damage type
High-Explosive
High-Explosive
High-Explosive
High-Explosive
High-Explosive
High-Explosive
Blast radius (metres)
12
8
1
3
8
8
Trigger type
N/A
N/A
Delayed Fuse + Proximity
Proximity
Pressure
Delayed Fuse + Proximity
Trigger proximity radius (m)
N/A
N/A
2
1
0.1
3
Maximum speed (m/s)
100
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Maximum lock-on range (kilometres)*
5
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Minimum lock-on range (metres)*
100
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Lock-on cone (degrees)*
120°
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Maximum field of regard (degrees)*
120°
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Maximum lockable speed (km/h)*
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
BLUFOR/INDFOR cluster bomb. It can be laser guided to a target.
Very effective against infantry and other soft targets such as trucks/MRAPs, though it can only inflict maximum damage if it scores a direct hit (non-primary targets will take less than a fraction of the base damage).
Some of the bomblets have a 7% chance to leave behind fragments of UXO (UneXploded Ordnance) which can pose a hazard to any infantry or lightly armoured vehicles passing through the area. The BL778 averages at around 2-4 pieces of UXO per bomb, and will scatter these remnants in a 50 metre radius around the blast crater.
Some aircraft are able to mount two-racked versions instead of the individual bomb unit.
BLUFOR/INDFOR cluster bomb. Can be optionally laser guided to a target.
Like the BL778, it's also highly effective against most ground targets but only if a direct hit is scored. Similarly, it also has a 7% probability of leaving behind some UXO fragments on impact. The main difference with the CBU-85 is that it has the largest scatter radius of the three cluster bombs. Upon impact, CBU-85's primary bomb unit will spread its bomblets in an 85 metre radius around the impact zone.
Some aircraft are able to mount two-racked versions instead of the individual bomb unit.
The unguided version of the DAGR rocket, the DAR also comes in pods of either twelve or twenty four rockets. It is designed exclusively for anti-personnel purposes, and does not possess a penetrator submunition.
Unlike most other unguided munitions, DARs can be fired on full-auto mode at 24 rockets per second, allowing pilots to easily fire off devastating barrages at a safe distance. In most cases, 2-3 direct hits from a DAR is sufficient to destroy unarmoured cars and trucks. Armoured vehicles on the other hand, will take virtually zero damage from DARs even with direct hits.
While it is technically possible to disable a tank with up to 24-30 direct hits on the engine, this is quite unfeasible in practice since it is a waste of rockets. Under normal circumstances, it is impossible to achieve unless the vehicle crew deliberately remains oblivious to the threat of a helicopter flying behind them.
BLUFOR/INDFOR general-purpose bomb. Can be optionally laser guided to a target.
Particularly useful for razing groups of buildings and inflicts very high damage against all ground targets. The GBU-12 works best when friendly forces laser mark targets for the attacking pilot, though it can still be utilised as a significantly more powerful Mk-82.
GBU-12s are usually available in racks of either one or two units.
BLUFOR glide bomb. Can lock onto laser spots. Utilises infrared guidance both for tracking and as an alternate form of guidance.
Locking on via infrared, a GBU SDB guides itself towards the target without the need for a laser.
Exclusive to BLUFOR air superiority fighters and UCAVs, the SDB is an extremely versatile stand-off weapon that can be used to safely engage enemy ground targets from afar or be deployed as a slower flying anti-tank "missile".
Unlike the GBU-12/LOM-250G, the SDB is unique for being able to fly directly towards a laser-marked target once locked onto due to the combination of its flatter shape and profile (the SDB will automatically unfold its wings upon deployment for this purpose) as well as the inclusion of an IR seeker for backup guidance/self-tracking.
Although each SDB's payload is actually less hard-hitting compared to the GBU-12, the SDB will always instantly destroy even the toughest of ground vehicles like tanks with a single direct (or near-miss) strike. In addition, SDBs are always outfitted in racks of four. This makes it the most space-efficient weapon compared to all other air-to-ground bombs; a valuable trait on aircraft that rely exclusively on internal weapons bays and therefore lack access to external hardpoints.
It should be noted if the GBU SDB is acquiring a target with infrared, there is a 70% chance that its seeker can be confused by smoke countermeasures (for obvious reasons, this does not apply if the GBU SDB is locking on via laser).
REDFOR general-purpose bomb. Can be optionally laser guided to a target.
Exclusive to REDFOR air superiority fighters, the KAB 250 is the REDFOR equivalent to the GBU-12. It is virtually identical in most aspects, save that its damage output is even higher and has a (slightly) larger blast radius.
REDFOR general-purpose bomb. Can be optionally laser guided towards a target.
Identical capability and damage to the KAB 250. It has no difference to the latter aside from its display name and being usable on other fixed/rotary-wing REDFOR aircraft.
Free-falling gravity bomb. There is nothing outstanding nor special with regards to its performance. Since it lacks the ability to make use of laser guidance, it is only useful against stationary targets or static clumps of infantry. Successfully hitting targets with the Mk-82 is solely dependent on the pilot's proficiency in being able to estimate the impact zone.
For best results, referring to the CCIP circle on the aircraft's Heads Up Display (HUD) is recommended. Another good method for deployment of Mk-82s is dive-bombing, in which the deploying aircraft climbs high above its target and dives down towards them, giving the bomb better clearance and helping to (slightly) raise the chances of landing a successful hit.
REDFOR cluster bomb. Can be optionally laser guided to a target.
Powerful against soft targets but only if it scores a direct impact. The RBK-500F is the only cluster bomb exclusive to REDFOR fixed-wing jets and certain rotary-wing helicopters.
It has the smallest scatter radius of the three cluster bombs, and will also only leave behind traces of UXO within a radius of 45 metres.
The AP version of the Shrieker rocket is designed for anti-vehicle purposes, and has a small penetrator submunition designed to pierce through the plating of light-medium armoured ground vehicles.
Unlike the IR/laser-guided DAGR, the Shrieker AP is not particularly powerful and lacks the punching power of the former. Roughly 10-15 direct hits on the side of a Main Battle Tank for example, will be required to just disable it (not destroy).
Overall, the Shrieker AP is best reserved as a backup anti-vehicle weapon, and shouldn't be used to confront enemy vehicles directly unless the pilot's already out of anti-tank missiles.
Shrieker APs are always armed in pods of 7 rockets.
Unlike the AP counterpart, the Shrieker HE is intended to be used against infantry only. It does not possess a penetrator submunition and will inflict absolutely no damage against armoured vehicles.
Cars and lightly-armoured vehicles will usually be disabled or outright destroyed after a few hits. Medium armoured vehicles on the other hand, will require many more rockets depending on the impact angle, ranging from 15 and even upwards of up to 40 hits before any real damage gets inflicted.
Shrieker HEs are always armed in pods of 7 rockets.
The Tratnyr AP is essentially the REDFOR counterpart to the Shrieker AP and is virtually identical in all aspects except for its penetrator submunition, which is slightly better at piercing through armour plating but deals less damage (though the difference is negligible).
Tratnyr APs are always armed in pods of 20 rockets. If loaded on both sides of an aircraft, the rockets will be fired in pairs.
Anti-personnel version of the Tratnyr AP. Just as the AP rocket is similar to the Shrieker AP in almost every way, the Tratnyr HE is also completely identical to the Shrieker HE capability-wise.
As with Tratnyr APs, Tratnyr HEs are always loaded in pods with 20 rockets in total. If Tratnyr pods are mounted onto both sides of the aircraft, the rockets will be fired in pairs.
Anti-personnel rocket. Similarly to the DAR, Skyfires are fired on full-auto and can bombard a location with up to 24 rockets per second.
Likewise, only 1-2 direct hits are required to destroy unarmoured/lightly-armoured vehicles and cars/trucks. On the other hand, an absurd amount of direct hits with Skyfires will also be required if the pilot intends on using it to disable (not destroy) medium armoured vehicles.
Skyfires are always fitted in pods with 19 rockets in total.
These are rapid-fire cannons and gun pods that lack sensors and are almost always unguided. They are designed to serve as auxiliary/backup weapons for the aircraft, and are generally restricted to being mountable onto specific pylons only.
Minigun 6.5 mm[]
Minigun 6.5 mm
Base damage value
Aerodynamic friction
Initial velocity (m/s)
Penetration depth (mm)
10
-0.0009
825
12.375
REDFOR rotary-barrel 6.5 mm Gatling gun.
It can attain a fire rate output of roughly 80 rounds per second, and has a maximum firing range of 1.5 km. The Minigun can easily shred vehicle tyres and take out drivers in exposed vehicles while causing minimal damage to the vehicle they're in.
Due to the calibre of its ammunition, it will inflict absolutely no damage to tanks and any other armoured vehicles. Against infantry, it is fairly effective but can be somewhat difficult to land hits at long distances due to how little dispersion the weapon has.
The Minigun 6.5 mm is always fed with 2000-round linked belts.
Fires 20 mm high-explosive (HE) shells. The cannon has an effective firing range of between roughly 1-2.5 km against both air and ground targets.
Its shells are quite effective against unarmoured and lightly armoured vehicles, and can even immobilise MBTs by destroying their treads or disabling unprotected external optics/systems. Against heavily armoured vehicles however, they will not be able to inflict any actual damage to their vital components (i.e. the engine).
These gun pods are always fed from a single 300-round linked belt. If more than one gun pod is mounted onto an aircraft's pylons, then all of them will be fired simultaneously.
Manually adjust the loadout of any compatible aircraft that supports dynamic loadouts within the editor.
Does not apply to modifying aircraft within gameplay via scripting commands.
Video[]
Arma 3 Helicopter Weaponry Guide - Art of Flight, Episode 18
Notes[]
All ordnance information is accurate as of July 10th, 2022 (Game Version: 2.08).
Trivia[]
Almost every munition has a real-life counterpart but is simply renamed to avoid licencing issues.
Examples include the AMRAAM C/D and BIM-9X missiles, both of which are based on the real "AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile" and "AIM-9X Sidewinder" (respectively) air-to-air missiles designed by United States-based defence contractor Raytheon.
REDFOR munitions on the other hand like the R77 Adder (based on the Russian-made "R-77" missile designed by Vympel NPO) simply use a combination of their real manufacturer designation (R-77) and NATO reporting name (Adder).
Several missiles and bombs would be highly anachronistic for the 2030s setting that ArmA 3 takes place in.
For instance, the "C" variant of the in-game AGM-88 missile was first developed in 1993. As of 2019, the U.S. Air Force/Navy employ the latest models of the "E" variant (which itself was developed in 2010). This would render the in-game C variants more than forty two years old by the events of The East Wind. Furthermore, real AGM-88s are only estimated to have a shelf life of fifteen years.
Other particularly notable examples would be the Falchion-22 missile carried by NATO Wipeout jets. Based on the real-world "M" variant of the "AIM-9 Sidewinder" missile, the earliest models of the missile were produced in 1983 with the latest (the "AIM-9M-9") being delivered in the mid 1990s. Even with a generous manufacturing date of 2010, all AIM-9Ms would be way past their expiry dates of twenty years.
Cluster bombs were only added after the release of the Laws of War DLC as part of Game Update 1.76.[1]
Prior to Game Update 1.76, AMRAAMs and R77s were extremely agile and had the ability to perform near-pinpoint turns. The patch also reduced their immunity to chaff countermeasures and lowered their damage so that they could no longer outright destroy larger aircraft like the V-44X Blackfish in a single hit.[1]
Game Update 1.76 also made Skalpel ATGMs more reliable to use by reducing their maximum in-flight speed.[1] However, UCAVs like the Greyhawk still had trouble landing hits with the Skalpel even after the change. This would only be addressed after Game Update 1.78.[2]
Before Game Update 1.82, all laser-guided bombs (GBU-12s, LOM-250Gs, etc.) functioned as lock-on before launch (LOBL) munitions instead. This was changed to LOAL after the patch's release.[3]
GBU SDBs, AGM-88C HARMs, and KH58 ARMs were not originally included as part of the Jets DLC's launch content. AMRAAMs and R77s also did not have LOAL capabilities. The new munitions and LOAL changes would only be added in Game Update 1.84 as part of the DLC's free Encore update.[4]
The information below details unused, pre-release or removed content.
Unused glide bomb model.
An unused model for what appears to be the "AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon" (JSOW) glide bomb exists within the game files (Model names: bomb_06_f_fly.p3d[5], bomb_06_f.p3d[6]).
The model was only made available after Encore. It is not known as to why exactly the bomb was not implemented as a usable munition, though it can be turned into a usable bomb through the use of a custom addon.
